Preview — The Harper Effect
by Taryn Bashford

The Harper Effect

Sixteen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court--until her coach dropped her for being "mentally weak." Without tennis, who is she? Her confidence at an all-time low, she secretly turns to her childhood friend, next-door neighbor Jacob--who also happens to be her sister's very recent ex-boyfriend. If her sister finds out, it will mean a family war.

But whSixteen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court--until her coach dropped her for being "mentally weak." Without tennis, who is she? Her confidence at an all-time low, she secretly turns to her childhood friend, next-door neighbor Jacob--who also happens to be her sister's very recent ex-boyfriend. If her sister finds out, it will mean a family war.

But when Harper is taken on by a new coach who wants her to train with Colt, a cold, defensive, brooding young tennis phenom, she hits the court all the harder, if only to prove Colt wrong. But as the two learn to become a team, Harper gets glimpses of the vulnerable boy beneath the surface, the boy who was deeply scarred by his family's dark and scandalous past. The boy she could easily find herself falling for.

As she walks a fine line between Colt's secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must decide between her past and her future and between two boys who send her head spinning. Is the cost of winning the game worth losing everything?...more

EDIT: After being threatened with legal action by the author in response to my 2 star review below, I will no longer be supporting this book. I've since dropped it to 1 star. No one should ever feel unsafe for reviewing a book with their honest opinions. The original author's comment is here, and I also blogged about it here.

I enjoyed the glimpse into a professional tennis player's life in this one, and the message behind it in that resilience is built through downfalls.

However, I didn't agreeEDIT: After being threatened with legal action by the author in response to my 2 star review below, I will no longer be supporting this book. I've since dropped it to 1 star. No one should ever feel unsafe for reviewing a book with their honest opinions. The original author's comment is here, and I also blogged about it here.

I enjoyed the glimpse into a professional tennis player's life in this one, and the message behind it in that resilience is built through downfalls.

However, I didn't agree with the main character's actions - lying to her sister and hooking up with her ex-boyfriend behind her back, stalking the love interest and turning up unannounced, forcing him to do what she wanted by refusing to leave. Her behaviour was never addressed as crossing the line in the book which I found to be disturbing....more

R E V I E WSince I read this book in 2017 and this is a review coming in 2018 I just want to quickly mention that this was my 200th read of 2018.

Anyway, The Harper Effect was a contemporary I was excited to read. When my mum was younger she played tennis competitively and was aiming for Wimbledon when her coach passed away and she fell away from the sport. To this day, I don’t think you’ll find someone who talks about tennis as passionately as my mum. So, when I got the opportunity to receive this book and saw tennis in the blurb I jumped on it.

I forgot how romance filled YA books can be and The Harper Effect is full of romance. Very messy romance. The romance took up maybe around 80% of the book, with family dramas taking another 15% and the 5% being tennis. Which, left me in this messy spot or do I keep reading for the tennis? I did.

The tennis parts are good. The characters are good. But, the romance undercuts this and makes the story feel cheap in some parts. Particularly with the fact the main character is pursuing her sister’s ex-boyfriend. Even if you don’t believe in the girl code (which you should) this is so wrong. The fact that he wasn’t even supporting either sister (which made him a pretty shitty person, and he really was) really frustrated me. Especially since he got such a spotlight in The Harper Effect.

Obviously, these kids are in their late teens so they have hormones and all that, but I didn’t feel as if it added much to the story. I feel Harper would have done better with better friends and building a relationship with her sister instead of destroying it.

I did like Colt though, who is Harper’s mixed (mum said the mixed is very important here) doubles parter. He had a backstory that was something I could relate to parts of. He was passionate and a fighter and some of his conversations are ones I have had with people in my life. I truly appreciated the inclusion of his character but in some places, I feel it was dealt with incorrectly, especially the ending of this book.

The Harper Effect was a solid four star for me until all the messy contemporary drama unfolded on the page. I was struggling to keep myself reading it, which is never how it should be in my opinion.

Harper herself was a tad annoying. She was entitled and never really tried to understand Colt’s story or what he was going through, which was really annoying. The guy had to fight for his ranking and she had the best of the best to help carry her through. It just really annoyed me that she never tried. She simply tried to bring Colt into her life without taking in consideration how strange it may be for him.

It was great to read a book set in Australia with places I understood what looked like. It was also great to be able to support an Australian author.

Overall, The Harper Effect was an enjoyable read. I would have prefered it to have more familial relationships rather than romantic but that wasn’t the case, unfortunately for me. I’m definitely not a hater of this book but I am not blown away. I would still recommend it if you’re looking for a fluffy but serious book set in Australia. This would probably be a great book for that female athlete in your life who isn’t a reader.

E D I T I have since changed my review rating on Goodreads to a one star. The author threatened legal action on a reviewer on Goodreads, stating the reviewer had a personal vendetta against her. Goodreads is a safe place for reviewers to share their opinions, not everyone is always going to agree with your book or the content involved. I feel the inappropriate actions of the author cancel out every good thing I have said here. Keep that in mind when you decide whether to support this author.

If there was an option to give negative stars, I would. Never have I read such badly written prose, poor excuse for chapter development, or uninspiring protagonist. Awful metaphors abound, including but not limited to:

• “He smiles. And his whole face unfastens like a window blowing in the breeze, letting in fresh air and sunshine. It’s as if I’ve witnessed one of the Seven Wonders of the World; seen something not many people get to see.”The Seven Wonders of the World called, they would like to sIf there was an option to give negative stars, I would. Never have I read such badly written prose, poor excuse for chapter development, or uninspiring protagonist. Awful metaphors abound, including but not limited to:

• “He smiles. And his whole face unfastens like a window blowing in the breeze, letting in fresh air and sunshine. It’s as if I’ve witnessed one of the Seven Wonders of the World; seen something not many people get to see.”The Seven Wonders of the World called, they would like to send a cease-and-desist to prevent their good name from being used in this manner.

• “I shake my head, my appetite blown up with my heart. To buy time to find all the pieces of me and put myself back together, I make coffee.”Even the firmest believers in the power of caffeine would find these sentences hard to believe.

• “I fight to summon the trusty list of reasons to pull away, but it’s like swinging a racquet in custard.”I know there’s a paucity in tennis analogies and idioms, but I would have hoped a published author could come up with something better than RACQUET. IN. CUSTARD.

That’s just a taster, not even a fraction of the awful writing. But the book tops (or bottoms?) itself with this gem:

• “I let a breath I was holding dribble out.”And y’all thought “I let out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding” was bad.

The book also had multiple instances of casual cultural misappropriation and racism. Presented in that casual, microaggressive way of ignorant people who believe they’re worldly and cultured. If you’re not Native American, I don’t want you to go around calling regular old plaits “Hiawatha hair”. It’s freaking offensive. Also, there is no such thing as an “Indian princess scarf”, especially not one that a random white girl wears in her hair while lounging around on her couch. People’s culture are not your costumes. Also the only non-white character in this book appeared for a total of 2 seconds and spoke in broken English - despite the fact that these kids were jetsetting all around the world for a large part of the novel.

I don’t even have the energy to go into how demeaning this book ultimately is to sibling relationships, to girls with ambitions. Not to mention that singularly awful love triangle. But rest assured, I’ll return soon with a full review.

This author threatened a reviewer with legal action over a two-star review. I personally think that Jeann was being generous. What a mess, that’s three hours of my life I’ll never get back - but apparently Goodreads is on a deleting spree of all the negative reviews for this book. Listen, no one has to have a personal agenda to rate this book poorly. Nothing any reviewer can write will be more damning than the actual novel itself.

GR deleted my original review because I criticized the writer’s behavior instead of the book so I’ll only criticize the book and the writing as not something I can recommend. I won’t dump on the writer for her behavior towards reviewers or trash the book in keeping with GR Guidelines. If you decide to read anyway, my strong recommendation is borrow don’t buy.

I feel obliged to write a preface to address the drama surrounding this book. I'll be honest, I don't condone authors threatening reviewers with legal action simply because they disagree with their opinions. But as Bashford has not commented, I have no way to verify the facts of the reviewer. To be honest, it's also none of my business.

The Goodreads community also has a lot to answer for: intentionally giving a book low ratings when you haven't read it, leaving unhelpful and snappy reviews, andI feel obliged to write a preface to address the drama surrounding this book. I'll be honest, I don't condone authors threatening reviewers with legal action simply because they disagree with their opinions. But as Bashford has not commented, I have no way to verify the facts of the reviewer. To be honest, it's also none of my business.

The Goodreads community also has a lot to answer for: intentionally giving a book low ratings when you haven't read it, leaving unhelpful and snappy reviews, and leaving disgusting hateful anonymous messages for the author. To be honest, the reviewers annoyed me more than anything.

Now that's out of the way, I really enjoyed this book. Bashford's characters were well rounded and complex without being overly dramatic. I found the balance of drama and self awareness refreshing. Harper's development is considerable, making the story truly a buildingsroman tale. There is a nice balance between the repercussions of her actions and her development in making decisions. There's a difference between not liking a character, and a character being poorly written.

Additionally, the architecture of the world is flawless. I have never played a game of tennis in my life, and I felt right at home. Different locations, players, and tournaments meld effortlessly and the introduction of tennis lingo is subtle enough for the reader to follow.

My only gripe with the novel is a few minor inconsistencies. The use of the American spelling of 'mum' is an interesting choice - although, I admit very minor. The plot also felt at times very predictable and safe. But that again is personal opinion and a tendency towards harsher endings.

I really enjoyed this book! Also what a brilliant time to release it!! It will make a perfect summer read while you watch tennis on the tv!!

To the book.......So the overall plot is fairly predictable, but its the details that make this book so enjoyable. Parts of this book make you want to slap the characters because WTF were they thinking!! But as we all know, mistakes are part of growing up, and there are some pretty epic mistakes made in this book.I know that a lot of people will hate the lo I really enjoyed this book! Also what a brilliant time to release it!! It will make a perfect summer read while you watch tennis on the tv!!

To the book.......So the overall plot is fairly predictable, but its the details that make this book so enjoyable. Parts of this book make you want to slap the characters because WTF were they thinking!! But as we all know, mistakes are part of growing up, and there are some pretty epic mistakes made in this book.I know that a lot of people will hate the love triangle in this book, I know I did. But it was part of the story and it helped the characters involved to grow and move out of their comfort zones! And yes I know girl code/sister code and all that, but less face it these things happen in real life. At least there were consequences and the characters learnt from their actions.I also just want to say that it is clear that the characters behaviour is not condoned and I believe the author did a great job, through the story, of explaining why this love triangle was included in the book.

These characters though!! I think the author has done a fantastic job creating realistic characters that aren't always likeable.Throughout the book we get to watch all the characters grow and mature. Harper, our MC, can come across as a brat fairly often, but a lot of 16 year old kids can be. She also makes some truly terrible decisions, but she learns from these and they help her to grow as a person.Jacob on the other hand I despised. His attitude was frustrating and while he did get better towards the end of the book I still couldn't bring myself to like him.My favourite characters were Aria and Colt! Mostly Colt haha. These two faced some tough challenges. Arias were mostly due to stupid decisions made my Harper and Jacob, which I'm glad happened because seriously she deserves someone better than Jacob!!I would love a story from Colts POV!! He goes through so much throughout the book and I think his take on things would be interesting to read.

Overall this is a fun, easy read that I highly recommend! You'll laugh, you'll want to punch characters in the faces and hopefully you'll enjoy a fantastic story

Thank you to Macmillan Australia for sending me a copy and allowing me to take part in this blog tour ...more

Harper Hunter, a 16-year old aspiring professional tennis player, is failing. She seems to have plenty of skill, but no mental strength to get to the top of the tennis ranking. Her coach abandons her, believing she just doesn't have what it takes to be a winner. Distraught, Harper finds herself at the center of family drama at home too, when her older sister is in a midst of a breakup with their mutual childhood frKirkus Reviews convinced me to read this. Australia, tennis, romance? Yes, please.

Harper Hunter, a 16-year old aspiring professional tennis player, is failing. She seems to have plenty of skill, but no mental strength to get to the top of the tennis ranking. Her coach abandons her, believing she just doesn't have what it takes to be a winner. Distraught, Harper finds herself at the center of family drama at home too, when her older sister is in a midst of a breakup with their mutual childhood friend (and accidentally, Harper's long-time crush, Jacob). When Harper's new coach suggests that Harper should pair up with another up-and-coming player Colt, things get even more complicated. Because Colt is hot (and, naturally, tormented), and Jacob wants to be with Harper instead of her sister, Aria.

Here is what I have a problem with Kirkus' review. I don't agree that "details about tennis and the struggles of teens on the cusp of adulthood are nicely balanced." The tennis parts are very strong. I actually had to check back to see if the author had been a professional tennis player (she hadn't). Apparently, I can read about training drills and game strategies all day. What I didn't care for is most of that wretched love quadrangle. It is overwrought, with hormonal kids throwing their lives away over stupid crushes. I wish The Harper Effect was either: 1) a simpler romance with LOTS of tennis (there is enough drama in that sport as it is, evidently) and MUCH less Colt angsting about his problems and playing hot/cold games with Harper; or 2) a romance-free story; there is a lesson in the book about staying true to your dreams and not giving up on them when side problems arise, and that would have carried the book just fine.

Not an unpleasant reading experience. I just wish the story was shaped a little better....more

Thank you so much Pan Macmillan for sending us a copy of The Harper Effect to review. Thank you for also letting us be part of this blog tour!

'The Harper Effect' by Taryn Bashford is a debuting young adult novel allowing readers to discover the art and lifestyle of a teenager and her dream of becoming a professional tennis player. But for any teenager, this lifestyle includes first loves, friendship, grief and the ability to follow your dreams.

Whilst we made our way through this novel, we couldnThank you so much Pan Macmillan for sending us a copy of The Harper Effect to review. Thank you for also letting us be part of this blog tour!

'The Harper Effect' by Taryn Bashford is a debuting young adult novel allowing readers to discover the art and lifestyle of a teenager and her dream of becoming a professional tennis player. But for any teenager, this lifestyle includes first loves, friendship, grief and the ability to follow your dreams.

Whilst we made our way through this novel, we couldn't help but love the author's connection to tennis! We haven't found too many novels that include sporting/athletic aspects which we have really enjoyed however, we have loved seeing it in this novel!

Taryn Bashford has done an incredible job with providing a message behind each word written. This novel doesn't just follow a teenager's love for tennis, it provides inspirational messages about determination, forming strong relationships, grief and forgiveness, especially with the ability to forgive yourself.

This is an engrossing debut novel by Australian author, Taryn Bashford that provides an indepth look at the heady world of the professional tennis circuit.Beginning with a 17 year old Harper Hunter being dumped by her coach and then her doubts as to whether she is indeed good enough. We journey through her friendships- both with her sister Aria and next door neighbour Jacob the three of whom have been inseparable since childhood. That changed with Harper away on tour so much and Jacob and Aria bThis is an engrossing debut novel by Australian author, Taryn Bashford that provides an indepth look at the heady world of the professional tennis circuit.Beginning with a 17 year old Harper Hunter being dumped by her coach and then her doubts as to whether she is indeed good enough. We journey through her friendships- both with her sister Aria and next door neighbour Jacob the three of whom have been inseparable since childhood. That changed with Harper away on tour so much and Jacob and Aria becoming an item, but now that they have split up Jacob and Harper's feelings for each other have resurfaced. Complex enough?Now throw into the mix her explosive and troubled new doubles partner Colt Jagger and we really start to see a change in Harper's attitude both on and off the court.How hard is it to break into the senior tennis circuit and how much is Harper willing to give to achieve her dream?This is mostly a sports success story that also tackles friendships, growing up and relationships issues....more

I hate to state the obvious, but allegations made by a reviewer who has a personal vendetta against the author cannot necessarily be trusted. In terms of The Harper Effect, like others who have actually read the novel, I loved it. The writing style was really refreshing, being easy to read with some really interesting phrasing that stayed with me, or had me re-reading it just to enjoy it again. The story was fast-paced and the characters came across like real teens even though they were moving iI hate to state the obvious, but allegations made by a reviewer who has a personal vendetta against the author cannot necessarily be trusted. In terms of The Harper Effect, like others who have actually read the novel, I loved it. The writing style was really refreshing, being easy to read with some really interesting phrasing that stayed with me, or had me re-reading it just to enjoy it again. The story was fast-paced and the characters came across like real teens even though they were moving in the seemingly unreal world of professional tennis. I wasn’t sure about reading about tennis, but I loved the Coach Milo scenes and found myself rooting for Harper who grew into a gutsy, determined heroine by the end. And my new favourite book boyfriend is Colt Jagger!...more

This book got to my gut! Chortling one minute, digging for tissues the next.Impressive must-remember-that-one, are the ingenious metaphors and vivid word pictures that spring from the pages. Set in the competitive world of tennis, it explores awakening young love that can confuse and unravel, but similarly shows how special love can uplift and encourage.Food for thought for many a teen trying to decipher friendship vs love and the difference between the two.

The Harper Effect is a debut YA novel by Australian author Taryn Bashford, taking the reader deep into the world of professional tennis. It’s as much a romance novel as it is a fun, sporty novel for tennis fans.

I love tennis. It’s probably one of my favourite sports. So to find a YA novel that features this much tennis was amazing. I loved all the behind-the-scenes exchanges and all the travel, and I love how this book wasn’t just about the lead up to one tournament, buthttp://jessjustreads.com

The Harper Effect is a debut YA novel by Australian author Taryn Bashford, taking the reader deep into the world of professional tennis. It’s as much a romance novel as it is a fun, sporty novel for tennis fans.

I love tennis. It’s probably one of my favourite sports. So to find a YA novel that features this much tennis was amazing. I loved all the behind-the-scenes exchanges and all the travel, and I love how this book wasn’t just about the lead up to one tournament, but several. Throughout the book, Harper and Colt perform many times together, and they learn something new about each other with each match.

Later Milo talks tactics and strategies — how we must know our opponents, when they’ve won and lost, why they’ve won and lost, how we adapt to them. ‘Winning is not only about how well you play, it’s about how well you make your opponent play badly,’ he says.

It’s so refreshing to read a young adult novel where the character’s love of sport is not just a mentioned trait, but is actually embedded in the storyline. This novel is not just about Harper’s tricky relationship with her sister’s ex-boyfriend. It’s about her love for tennis and her determination to succeed, and her efforts in learning to understand her somewhat moody — but troubled — doubles partner Colt.

Taryn Bashford does a really fantastic job of illustrating the relationship between a teen and their parent, particularly when the child has made poor choices. When Harper’s dad sees her kissing Jacob, he’s really disappointed in her, and I found this exchange to be really relatable and believable. I also think that the strong relationship that Harper has with her dad is really great to read about — I love YA novels that actually feature parents in the storyline. Absent parents can be frustrating in a YA novel.

Despite loving this novel and absolutely adoring all the tennis, I did find it rather unbelievable that two young teenagers would make it as far as they did so quickly. It’s not impossible, but Colt and Harper both make it very far for how young they are. I guess part of me felt like in real life, there’d be a lot more losses before they succeeded as well as they did. Additionally, the book is filled with metaphors and similes that are a bit redundant and could’ve been cut from the book.

“When we arrive for training I’m in the mood to wrap the tennis net around the throat of the first person who speaks to me. I march onto the court and throw my bag at the ground.”

I felt that Jacob’s character seemed to escalate at a really fast rate. Towards the end of the novel, his behaviour seems a little too extreme, and I thought his antagonistic attitude could’ve been reduced a bit.

This is great summer read, perfect for lounging by the pool or the beach and enjoying the story — I read this over my summer holiday and thought it was really fun. I’m a huge fan of tennis though, and it’s the Australian Open, after all. Perfect timing!

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review....more

I felt I had to add a little note to my review, because although the author is not a personal friend, I’ve attended many writing events when she’s been present. I’ve always found her to be particularly generous with her help and advice for up and coming writers. She’s also a very down to earth and level-headed person. Her comment here can be interpreted in different ways, but knowing what I know about her, I doubt she said she’d sue over a bad review. Why threaten to do so with this person’s revI felt I had to add a little note to my review, because although the author is not a personal friend, I’ve attended many writing events when she’s been present. I’ve always found her to be particularly generous with her help and advice for up and coming writers. She’s also a very down to earth and level-headed person. Her comment here can be interpreted in different ways, but knowing what I know about her, I doubt she said she’d sue over a bad review. Why threaten to do so with this person’s review and not the ones that came before it? I was at an event recently when she was asked why she hasn’t made a statement about this. She said her publisher asked her not to respond in any way and that people weren’t interested in the truth and would twist her words. I think that’s really sad. Anyway, talking about The Harper Effect, I was pleasantly surprised that the tennis part didn’t take over the story. The author always made it sound interesting when she talked about it, but that had been a concern of mine. The tennis was there but only in the sense of Harper’s coach devising fun training sessions, or the reader cheering for Harper for a match or two – and we really did cheer! I enjoyed the fast pace of the book, and the character transformation of Harper was perfect. She hadn’t gone to high school and didn’t have many friends and had spent her life on the junior circuit with adults so she hadn’t grown up like a normal kid. We start out not knowing what to think about her, but to have us rooting for her at the end (for her heart and her game), the author did a great job of showing her transformation into a strong and inspiring girl to look up to. I’ll be recommending this book to my students! I can see it being made into a movie – I hope it is. I'd like to have seen Jacob's parents get their come-uppance. Poor Jacob!...more

Straight from the author’s mouth – this vendetta the author refers to started when the author gave the reviewer’s Instagram account a shout out by re-posting one of the reviewer’s photos. The reviewer freaked out that the author had ‘stolen’ her photo even though the author had given credit in the comments and was giving a shout out to her! The reviewer wanted the credit ON the photo. She bombarded the author with copyright law info, then contacted the author’s Instagram followers, telling themStraight from the author’s mouth – this vendetta the author refers to started when the author gave the reviewer’s Instagram account a shout out by re-posting one of the reviewer’s photos. The reviewer freaked out that the author had ‘stolen’ her photo even though the author had given credit in the comments and was giving a shout out to her! The reviewer wanted the credit ON the photo. She bombarded the author with copyright law info, then contacted the author’s Instagram followers, telling them to demand the author take down any photos she’d re-posted in the form of a shout out for their account. She started harassing the author on twitter about it too. Then changed her 4 star glowing review of The Harper Effect on Good Reads to a critical 2 star review. I’m not surprised the author got upset and asked her to cease and desist. The author never threatened legal over the review itself, only the vendetta! EVERY author knows they'll get a few bad reviews. Not every book is for every person. She did not respond to the comments here as per her pubisher's request. I hope readers and reviewers will ignore the author bashing that then took place here, and read and review the book without bias.

For me The Harper Effect provided a great summer read with a page-turning plot and an authentic teen protagonist who dug herself into some deep holes but also then learned to dig her way out of them, and come out on top. The writing provided plenty of ‘aha’ moments for me and I loved the dynamic that vibrates between each character. Each character has their histories that impact the current relationship with another character, and each thread is satisfyingly resolved. Even though Jacob made loads of mistakes, I feel sad for him because of his family dynamic and how his parents leave the parenting to their housekeeper. A jeep and a music room don’t buy love! Colt is yummy and his struggles are unique – the more he succeeds the worse his home life gets. How can you not root for him? Aria and Harper have a difficult sibling relationship, and given the reasons, it’s not surprising. They’re at that moment in time when they’re leaving behind their childhood, stamping their mark on the world, and fighting to figure out who they are as individuals. It’s an intriguing read. My favorite character is Coach Milo, because of his hippy-style wisdom and German sayings, but it’s a close call between him and Colt and Harper. The writing style is interesting too – sometimes lyrical and always accessible. Now I’m watching my son play tennis and wondering if he’s ‘choosing to win’ or not. Lol. ...more

Years ago, when my son was barely four, we were failing to make play dough and he turned to me with, “Let’s win it this way.” I was delighted he’d figured out there were many ways to win a game, and it’s an attitudinal state that comes to mind when I read the Harper Effect. Our protagonist Harper Hunter has invested a huge amount of time and effort in becoming a top ranking tennis player and the traditional trajectory, winning through Coach Kominsky, has failed her. The new way to win is much moYears ago, when my son was barely four, we were failing to make play dough and he turned to me with, “Let’s win it this way.” I was delighted he’d figured out there were many ways to win a game, and it’s an attitudinal state that comes to mind when I read the Harper Effect. Our protagonist Harper Hunter has invested a huge amount of time and effort in becoming a top ranking tennis player and the traditional trajectory, winning through Coach Kominsky, has failed her. The new way to win is much more interesting. With her new coach she must become a dynamite mixed doubles player as a means to improve her ranking and individual game. I enjoyed watching Harper learn to dance on the court with Colt, another young tennis hopeful, and to see her push the boundaries of friendship there. Readers are led into the story of his life and become more drawn to it than Harper’s comparatively more stable ( and duller) journey. While the title points us toward Harper, it’s Colt who is the easiest character in the book to like, since his decisions involve much higher stakes, and his confusion over whether to prioritise tennis or family is very real. I read this book over a summer holiday and can recommend it as a solid read with realistic characters and a message that will inspire young tennis hopefuls....more

So good to read a young adult book that isn’t set in high school or university or life between high school and university. Teenagers do have ambitions to be the next Jelena Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt and there should be more stories.The overall story was predictable but that was part of the charm that I loved, the characters were flawed and often making wrong decisions.Aria getting mad at her sister Harper for breaking the sister/best friend pact not to fall for her ex-boyfriend Jacob and JacobSo good to read a young adult book that isn’t set in high school or university or life between high school and university. Teenagers do have ambitions to be the next Jelena Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt and there should be more stories.The overall story was predictable but that was part of the charm that I loved, the characters were flawed and often making wrong decisions.Aria getting mad at her sister Harper for breaking the sister/best friend pact not to fall for her ex-boyfriend Jacob and Jacob going out with Aria when he has feelings for Harper then hooking up with Harper just after breaking up with Aria.Harper stalking Colt around town till she tracks him down.All these actions that I don’t necessarily agree with, just makes them human and imperfect and intriguing. ...more

I receive this book from the author on a giveaway I won on Instagram. Also for honest review. I was honor to get this book from the author. This is the first time me reading anything from her. I like the romance and drama in it. Who doesn't like a little drama while reading I do. You do what you have to do to get where you want to get to. You never let nobody tell you amy different or let somebody bring you down. The storyline was good, it went well together. The characters was good. It also wenI receive this book from the author on a giveaway I won on Instagram. Also for honest review. I was honor to get this book from the author. This is the first time me reading anything from her. I like the romance and drama in it. Who doesn't like a little drama while reading I do. You do what you have to do to get where you want to get to. You never let nobody tell you amy different or let somebody bring you down. The storyline was good, it went well together. The characters was good. It also went well in the story. The setting and theme was well put together. I would love to read other book by the author. I highly recommend everybody get this book! 💞🎾💞🎾...more

Thanks to SkyPony Press for the chance to read this ARC. Great sporty girl YA romance--two hot boys, a jealous sister, and a wizard of a tennis coach combine to make sixteen-year-old profession tennis star Harper Hunter's life a crazy whirlwind of chaos.

Refreshing read because the characters were very different - in a good way. Accessible, authentic, and their issues were intense because they are all elite at what they do - music and tennis. A real page turner. Seriously read into the middle of the night.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This in no way impacted on my view.

I adore reading contemporary YA, especially when the weather is starting to get better, and an sunny bank holiday weekend seemed to be the perfect time to read The Harper Effect.

In The Harper Effect, our MC is Harper, a 16 year old tennis professional who has just lost her coach, and been told she doesn't have what it takes to become a star. Her sister, Aria, and best friend, Jacob, have been together for a fewI received an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This in no way impacted on my view.

I adore reading contemporary YA, especially when the weather is starting to get better, and an sunny bank holiday weekend seemed to be the perfect time to read The Harper Effect.

In The Harper Effect, our MC is Harper, a 16 year old tennis professional who has just lost her coach, and been told she doesn't have what it takes to become a star. Her sister, Aria, and best friend, Jacob, have been together for a few years, and she's had to deal with her unrequited feelings for Jacob ever since. However, Jacob and Aria have no split up, and he's telling her he's loved her all along, not Aria. Harper has to cope with all the mental anguish that comes with losing her coach, conflicting feelings of hurting herself or her sister, and then the fact that her new coach wants her to work with the moodiest tennis player she has ever met, with the hopes of winning the Mixed Doubles final at the Australian Open.

I've never been a massive fan of tennis, if I'm honest. In recent years, I've occasionally watched Wimbledon when its been on in the summer - particularly because I know us Brits actually have a chance now. However, the film, Wimbledon, is one of my favourite rom-coms to watch, and when I heard about this book, I thought it would be something I could enjoy, and I was right. I adored learning about what life was like as a professional, both the ups and the downs, and I feel as if Bashford showed how tiring both mentally and physically it can be for a professional athlete, especially a teen athlete.

Harper, as a main character, sometimes annoyed me, and at other times I understood exactly why she was acting the way she did. When it came to her feelings for Jacob, I couldn't really forgive her for messing around with her sister's ex, just days after they split up. Aria was devastated when Jacob unexpectedly dumped her, and can't understand why it happened. Jacob, if I'm being perfectly honest, was a despicable character, and I detested him from the get go. He knew exactly what he was doing to both Aria and Harper, and all he cared about was himself, screw everyone else. Harper thinking she could be with Jacob, even in the future when she knew how difficult it was for Aria, was something that I found awful about her, and it did make me enjoy the story a little less than I might have originally.

On the other hand, there was Colt, who was the moody tennis pro who Harper's new coach had paired her with for mixed doubles events. When you learnt more about him, and his home life, you could understand why he was the way he acted, and it was a front to protect himself from being hurt further. The chemistry between Colt and Harper was off the charts, and I found myself hating Jacob even more, if that was actually possible, when he got in the way of those two.

Obviously, there were quite a few predictable angst filled moments, which you find in basically every YA contemporary I've ever read, but I did enjoy the story line, and the ending in particular. I don't think this is a book I would be jumping at to reread, like I have done with some other contemporaries, but I would recommend it to others who don't mind a bit of a predictable story, and love just getting lost in the pages until the ending....more

Taryn Bashford’s evocative wordsmithing reads like she is conducting a word orchestra, who then play a magnificent symphony of sentences that flow with a mesmerising energy. I found the story addictive as Harper Hunter’s world became shaken, stirred, upended, swallowed and spat out.I loved the childhood connections and memories in the story, the emotional turmoil, regret, bad choices, and the growth of the character as she became her own person, working out who she was and what she stood for.

Taryn lives the typical writer’s life alongside supportive husband, teen children, and characters from her latest book insisting they help make dinner. This can be disconcerting as Jacob is always sticking his fingers in the cheese sauce and Harper can’t cook.

Taryn’s been an English Literature Honours student, an advertising sales rep and a CEO of an internet company, but writing is her first lovTaryn lives the typical writer’s life alongside supportive husband, teen children, and characters from her latest book insisting they help make dinner. This can be disconcerting as Jacob is always sticking his fingers in the cheese sauce and Harper can’t cook.

Taryn’s been an English Literature Honours student, an advertising sales rep and a CEO of an internet company, but writing is her first love. The Harper Effect is her debut novel....more